diff --git a/Generators/EvgenJobTransforms/share/skel.GENtoEVGEN.py b/Generators/EvgenJobTransforms/share/skel.GENtoEVGEN.py
index 7150975c08d3ec860a46bc4ad03e4b0225dacf26..b61f21fee6c25408a6859f1fb3fe97941d2a9430 100644
--- a/Generators/EvgenJobTransforms/share/skel.GENtoEVGEN.py
+++ b/Generators/EvgenJobTransforms/share/skel.GENtoEVGEN.py
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ if hasattr(runArgs, "rivetAnas"):
 # in case of mc23 protect against changing run number in McEventSelector 
 rel = os.popen("echo $AtlasVersion").read()
 rel = rel.strip()
-if (int(rel[:2]) > 22 ): 
+if not rel or int(rel[:2]) > 22: 
   from AthenaCommon.AppMgr import ServiceMgr
   ServiceMgr.EventSelector.EventsPerRun = int(2**63 - 1) #sys.maxint on a 64-bit machine